About Clay Fowler

Clay Fowler is a Dallas native, graduated from the University of Texas and joined the Southern California News Group in 2006.

Western Christian football has gone from bottom to top before

Of all football programs, Western Christian shouldn’t be intimidated by it’s current predicament.

The Lancers finished last in the Ambassador League last season, but perhaps even more revealing is that new coach Michael Khoshkbariie began spring practice with just 18 players on the roster.

Western Christian has beaten the odds before – quickly. The Lancers went from three wins to an undefeated regular season in just two years, surging to the CIF-SS semifinals in 2013. But just as quickly, Western found itself at the bottom of the league again.

The Lancers have their work cut out again in an Ambassador League that is deeper than it was two seasons ago. But Khoshkbariie already has 40 players out for the team. Continue reading “Western Christian football has gone from bottom to top before” »

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Ontario Christian football hopes to climb out of unfamiliar territory

Ontario Christian is only two seasons removed from a trip to the CIF finals. Success of this nature isn’t surprising for a program with one of the longest standing traditions in the Ambassador League.

What is surprising? The Knights have just one league championship over the last nine years outside of their banner season in 2012. Even more surprising? Last year, Ontario Christian missed the playoffs for the first time in at least 15 years.

A new coach, a strong returning nucleus and a promising young quarterback are plenty of reasons to believe this year will begin the Knights’ climb toward their traditional spot near the top of the league. The Ambassador League is deep, but Ontario Christian could benefit from the league’s expected parity. Continue reading “Ontario Christian football hopes to climb out of unfamiliar territory” »

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Will Summit’s immense talent translate into a league title?

Jennifer Cappuccio Maher/Staff Photographer Running back Stephen Carr, who is verbally committed to USC, is one of four Summit High School players with Division-I scholarship offers entering the 2015 season.

Jennifer Cappuccio Maher/Staff Photographer
Running back Stephen Carr, who is verbally committed to USC, is one of four Summit players with Division-I scholarship offers entering the 2015 season.

If it could convert scholarship offers into victories, Summit could crown itself today.

The SkyHawks football team enters the 2015 season with four players sporting Division-I offers, including Damian Alloway’s list of 16. Had he not committed to USC nearly two years before he could sign a letter of intent, running back Stephen Carr would presumably have more than five scholarship offers.

After becoming the first school other than Kaiser to win a Sunkist League championship – Summit claimed consecutive league titles in 2011 and 2012 – the SkyHawks have finished second the last two seasons. But talent hasn’t been much of an issue, according to head coach Nick Matheny.

“With our three guys at the skill positions, we’re pretty loaded,” Matheny said. “But we were talented last year too and we were only able to pull out six wins.”
Continue reading “Will Summit’s immense talent translate into a league title?” »

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Participation in high school football rises for the first time in five years

Perhaps due to strides in concussion awareness, high school football saw an increase in participation nationwide last season for the first time in five years, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations.

An additional 6,607 boys participated in 11-man football during the 2013-14 season, making the total number of players in the country 1,093,234. Aiding that number was an additional 184 girls playing high school football, bringing the total number of girls to 1,715 nationwide.

Technology continues to improve the safety measures of football equipment and tangible progress in preventing concussions also includes a recently approved assembly bill in California limiting full contact high school football practices to three hours per week. AB 2129 will take effect on Jan. 1, 2015.

Continue reading “Participation in high school football rises for the first time in five years” »

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Baseline League track and field champions

BOYS
100: 1. Tyrin Wells (Upland) 10.92
200: 1. Antonio Woodard (Upland) 21.68
400: 1. Antonio Woodard (Upland) 48.48
800: 1. Parker Saele (Glendora) 2:00.76
1,600: 1. Mat Holton ( Rancho Cucamonga) 4:28.66
3,200: 1. Mat Holton (Rancho Cucamonga) 9:52.33
4×100 relay: 1. Upland 42.72
110 HH: 1. Joseph Anderson (Upland) 14.32
300 IH: 1. Aidan Christensen (Los Osos) 40.26
Continue reading “Baseline League track and field champions” »

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Rim’s top returner from CIF champion volleyball team transfers to Los Osos

Alyssa Ybanez, left, transferred from Rim of the World to Los Osos.

Alyssa Ybanez, left, transferred from Rim of the World to Los Osos.

It’s hard to imagine the Los Osos volleyball team getting much better, but that’s exactly what happened this offseason. The team that finished one win shy of the first CIF championship in school history gained two transfers, one of which helped lead her team to a CIF title last season.

Alyssa Ybanez, the 2012 Mountain Valley League offensive MVP, transferred to Los Osos along with 6-foot-1 Aquinas middle blocker Delaney Goodrich. They will join a core of players at Los Osos including the reigning Daily Bulletin Player of the Year, Cal-bound senior Ashten Smith-Gooden and Ashley Kaylor, a first team All-Valley selection last season.

Continue reading “Rim’s top returner from CIF champion volleyball team transfers to Los Osos” »

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All-Sunkist League baseball team: Two sides to this MVP discussion

There were two distinct sides to be taken in the debate over the Sunkist League baseball MVP. The pitching side: a 9-0 record, 0.95 ERA, six complete games, 114 strikeouts and just 12 walks in just 74 innings. And the offensive side: .455 batting average, three home runs, 41 RBIs and 29 runs scored in 28 games with a .518 on-base percentage.

Of course, both sides belonged to junior Chris Mathewson of league champion Kaiser. Needless to say, it wasn’t much of a debate.

MVP: Chris Mathewson JR Kaiser

First Team
Toby Rainwater JR Kaiser
Ryan Mota JR Kaiser
Jacob Sanchez JR Kaiser
Alex Valdivia JR Kaiser
David Osuna SR Kaiser
Jacob Barajas SR Kaiser
Anthony Ayala SR Fontana
Andres Solis SR Fontana
Armondo Zapata JR Fontana
Continue reading “All-Sunkist League baseball team: Two sides to this MVP discussion” »

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As expected, Eisenhower football coach accepts position at Murrieta Valley

Vinny Fazio was hired as the new football coach at Murrieta Valley, multiple outlets are reporting, after revealing Thursday that he resigned following one spectacular season at Eisenhower.

Fazio began searching for other opportunities after he received a pink slip from Eisenhower in March. Vinny Fazio MugThough plenty who are pink-slipped end up with a job the following year, it was Fazio’s first such experience with one. A player at Fontana and first-year coach for a the 7-3 co-Citrus Belt League champion Eisenhower team last season, the last thing Fazio wanted to do was leave.

“That was never my plan. I was going to be there 10 to 15 years,” Fazio said. “I had people telling me at the district level and the school-site level ‘You probably need to look for other jobs.’ I love the kids. I feel really bad. On my end, I didn’t have a choice.”

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All-Sierra League baseball team: MVP only easy decision in this league

The jumble of teams behind Sierra League champion West Covina South Hills during the regular season didn’t make for any easy decisions after the year ended. The all-league team had an obvious MVP, but there were plenty of arguments to be made beyond that. As it turned out, second-place Damien, and third-place Claremont (which tied in the standings) received three first team all-league selections as did third-place Chino Hills.

MVP: Adrian Dehorta, Sr., South Hills

First Team
Anthony Seminaris, Sr., Ayala
Robert Longtree, Sr., Ayala
Dylan Lowenstein, Sr., Chino Hills
Jeremy Steggell, Sr., Chino Hills
Austin Harvey, Sr., Chino Hills
Nick Costello, Sr., Claremont
Jeremy Giles, Sr., Claremont
Alex Galuchie, Jr., Claremont
Continue reading “All-Sierra League baseball team: MVP only easy decision in this league” »

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Mt. SAC releaguing: Chino Hills, Ayala move to the Baseline League

Ayala athletic director Warren Reed made one last plea with five proposals remaining at Monday’s Mt. SAC area releaguing meeting, only one of which included his school in the Baseline League. Apparently it fell on deaf ears.

Ayala and Chino Hills joined Etiwanda, Los Osos, Rancho Cucamonga and Upland in perhaps the closest thing we’ve seen to a super-league in the Inland Valley in the last 10 years. There is no doubt in my mind Ayala ended up in the absolute worst situation of any school in the Inland Valley, joining a league where the other five schools have an enrollment of at least 3,000 to Ayala’s 2,500. Those other five school’s however, will be fascinating to watch as Chino Hills brings strong football, basketball, baseball, softball and soccer programs.

Alta Loma was the big winner, moving to a Mt. Baldy League that is now weaker sans Chino, a two-time football league champion in the last three years. Bonita knew it was leaving the Hacienda League, but was thrilled to land in the Sierra as opposed to the Baseline, where two of the last five remaining proposals placed the Bearcats.

Here is a look at all the new leagues in the Mt. SAC area beginning in the fall of 2014:

Continue reading “Mt. SAC releaguing: Chino Hills, Ayala move to the Baseline League” »

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